Mario Ismael Espinoza, LCSW (they, them) is a queer nonbinary immigrant from Mexico currently residing in the unceded and ancestral land of the Lenape people, modernly known as New York City. Mario is currently following a healer’s journey as a therapist and curanderx. Their practice is informed by both western psychology theories and Curanderismo, an mesoamerican wisdom passed down orally by elders and teachers of turtle island. Mario is thrilled to be included in a dialogue that investigates togetherness and to bring with them the voices and wisdom of all their teachers, guides, and ancestors.

Ken Gergen is a Senior Research Professor in Psychology at Swarthmore College, and President of the Taos Institute. He is internationally known for his contributions to social constructionist theory, technology and cultural change, and relational theory and practice. His major writings include Realities and Relationships, The Saturated Self, and Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community. His most recent book is Relational Evaluation: Beyond the Tyranny of Tests (with Scherto Gill). Gergen is listed among the 50 most influential living psychologists in the world, and has received numerous awards for his work, including honorary degrees in both the U.S. and Europe.

As co-founder and Vice President of the Taos Institute, and Professor Emerita of Communication at the University of New Hampshire, Sheila’s focus has always been on coordinating diversity and creating the conditions that allow individuals, families, & communities with opposing beliefs and values to engage in generative dialogue. By acknowledging the mutually influential relationship between our daily interactions and larger institutional practices (dominant discourses), the significance of how our daily interactions can transform oppressive institutional practices can be realized. Thus, the creative power of co-creation assists us in forming more humane futures.

Abbie VanMeter is the Executive Director of Collaborative Innovations at the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution, where she uses the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) to teach a ‘communication perspective’ that empowers individuals to see themselves as active participants in creating better social worlds through better communication. She facilitates initiatives that cultivate more relational ways of being and hosts the Stories Lived. Stories Told. podcast, with over 25,000 listens worldwide. In each episode, Abbie is joined by a different conversation partner, and together they explore their stories, experiences, and expertise using a communication perspective.

Sarah Filman (she/they) is a leadership coach, facilitator, and improviser who uses play as a catalyst for human development. As founder of Playful Perspectives and volunteer with Global Play Brigade, Sarah designs experiences where leaders reconnect with possibility, teams navigate conflict with curiosity, and strangers across continents discover what emerges when they yes-and each other. Drawing on nearly two decades of leadership experience in tech and education (Code.org, Microsoft), Sarah brings strategic thinking and a playful spirit to supporting growth at individual, team, and community levels. Their “Soft Skills for Hard Conversations” workshop series was funded by Boston’s Office of Arts and Culture.

Somer Saleh, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in New York and New Jersey and an adjunct professor at Mercy. Her work centers the healing of individuals, families, and communities navigating culture, faith, migration, and intergenerational trauma, with a particular focus on Muslim communities. She brings extensive experience in nonprofit and community-based leadership, advancing culturally responsive, accessible, and ethically grounded care through education, advocacy, and programming rooted in lived experience and collective care.

A native New Yorker, Amos grew up in an artistic household in the Hudson Valley, where play was encouraged as a means of expression and exploration. From an early age the theatre was a space for him to channel his energy, hone his talents, and most importantly, feel embraced by a community of likeminded folks. He discovered yoga and meditation as a teenager to help balance the high-intensity training in the performing arts and has consistently returned to these practices throughout his life to maintain equilibrium. An adjunct MFT faculty, Amos lives with his husband, their adoptive children, and dog HattieMae.